[Tails-ux] Audio: The Case for Non-Flat Volumes 2

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Author: Jonathan Joseph Chiarella
Date:  
To: tails-ux
Subject: [Tails-ux] Audio: The Case for Non-Flat Volumes 2
Hello,

I had written previously advocating flat volumes. It is not the upstream
default for pulseaudio (though this may change!) nor for Debian,
downstream derivatives like Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and now also Arch
Linux and Fedora make system-wide (/etc, not /home/...) config files
disabling flat volumes.

I thought this may be relevant:

<www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/498ouv/fedora_planning_to_disable_pulseaudios_flat>

<bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1265267>

<major.io/2015/06/08/pulseaudio-popping-with-multiple-sounds-in-fedora-22>

<awesomelinux.blogspot.com/2013/06/pulseaudios-dynamic-volume-levels-are.html>

<bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1264177>

The issue that gave me the most grief was this:

1. Play music.

2. Do other work.

3. I realize sounds are too loud. To make them softer I move mouse over
to system volume icon and move mouse scroll wheel to lower system volume
to 60%. (Thereby also moving music volume to 60%.)

4. I decide to take a break.

5. I open up the music player and choose a different track. Move the
volume slider in the music player up to 95%. (Thereby also moving system
volume to 95%)

6. After walking around the room and stretching, I resume work. Now I go
into the music player. I put on easier listening, like some classical
music. I also move music player volume knob to 80%. But the system
volume had already gone up to 95% without my knowing and it remains at 95%.

7. New sound stream generated by any newly opened programme comes in at
95% (95% of the limit of what the computer can send as output).

When using external speakers this is a real pain. It also appears that
if certain audio streams adjust themselves to 100% (whether unintended
behaviour or not), then the master volume and any new streams jump to
100% (from reading bug reports and complaints on the issue).

We would not let a programme hijack the master brightness on a laptop.
(This is controlled by desktop.)

So why would we let a programme hijack the master volume that is usually
controlled by pulseaudio in conjunction with the desktop?

I don't know if this has been taken care of with 2.x yet. I need to get
a new usb thumb drive.

I appreciate all the work as always.